Off The Record
by loopier
Summary: Since the massacre of her tribe, Kurapika promised Two things: she would retrieve her clan's eyes, and avenge their deaths. When she decides to prioritize one over the other, she ends up as a member of the Ryodan. She was certain she could never forget, but what if he made her want to forgive? Female Kurapika (Boy in the beginning). No copyright infringement intended.
1. Let Your Dreams Warn You

Kurapika awoke with a start.

 _The same dream again._

There was fire, suffocating heat, stench of burning bodies that were strewn as far as his eyes could see.

 _The Eyes_

The bodies of his clansmen were disposed of differently; some were pulled apart, some were left intact but whatever manner the bodies were left in, they all had one thing in common - the eyes were missing.

For a lot of people, dreams contained a hodgepodge of different snippets of their waking life; some were about mundane things like working in an office while some dreamt about normal things in a not-so-normal setting like riding a bike through the ocean.

 _Lucky bastards_ Kurapika thought to himself

For a few people like Kurapika, dreams were nothing more than a high-definition recording of the bitter past; a movie the brain plays during his sleep. His dream was reliving that moment of him coming home to a burning wasteland that not too long ago was his home.

 _As if I don't remember enough during my waking hours_ he thought wryly to himself.

There was a time he thought maybe the dreams decided to leave him alone. He had less of it during the hunter exams, but recently the dreams have returned with a vengeance.

Kurapika stood up to draw the curtains and let the light flood in. He surveyed York Shin City from his hotel room window and tried to remember how to go through this day. Truth be told, he'd not been feeling well lately. Physically, he was as fit as ever, but something was off.

 _Maybe the dreams are having their effect on me._

He felt hollow and heavy at the same time, he was drained. All that and he hasn't even started day 1 of his job yet.

Just last night he passed a test to one be of Neon Nostrade's security staff. He didn't particularly care about the spoiled child of a sleazy billionaire, but working for the Nostrade's would increase his chances of finding his clan's scarlet eyes. The young Nostrade has a penchant for collecting rare body parts, if there was a chance of him finding the eyes, it was here. And really, his clan's eyes is almost all that he lived for these days. _Almost._

The auction happening tonight is the biggest in the world, not to mention the most prestigious. The auction boasts some of the world's most exotic, rare and beautiful artifacts. Big money was involved, exchanged by big names. With so much at stake, it was natural for families to hire big guns to protect their assets against those who would want to take it from them. Rumors abounded that skilled criminals and thieves would attempt to interrupt the auction proceedings. Kurapika would never say it out loud, but he was hoping that one of the criminals would be Genei Ryodan. Avenging his clansmen was just as important to him as retrieving the eyes.

Kurapika chuckled to himself. _a moment ago you were complaining about how you were drained, and yet you're excited at the prospect of facing world class criminals. You're going insane._

Maybe he has. Since when did he exhibit near-joy at the thought of facing murderers and thieves? Maybe his mind is going. A few months back, just the mere thought of the Phantom Troupe sent his eyes blazing red. He openly declared to his friends and nen master that he will wage a war and bring forth destruction upon the criminal group.

His nen master had warned the young blonde against this plan of revenge. He made sure that not a day goes by that the young kuruta didn't hear of how pointless it was. In the end Kurapika ended up agreeing just to calm his master down. But deep inside he knew, there would be no forgiving the Ryodan, and he certainly won't forget.

So with as much effort as it took to open the gates of the Zoldyck household, he prepared for his day.


	2. Something's Wrong

_"That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing how much you've ripened in the last few months. Perhaps a few months more~ I can't wait~- H"_

Kurapika was standing just outside Neon Nostrade's bedroom when he received the text from Hisoka.

Earlier in the day he sent the clown a message telling him that he no longer wishes to meet up with him and discuss the Ryodan:

 _"I won't be going to the meeting later. I will accomplish my mission my way"_

After he sent the message, he felt unsure about how to proceed. While gathering intel about the eyes' whereabouts wasn't exactly easy, he knew if he paid the right person the right amount he would eventually find the eyes.

But the Ryodan was an entirely different matter.

He promised his master and himself that he would not actively hunt down the Spider; he even used his chain on himself. But now that he's refused to collaborate with the clown, he may have put himself in considerable risk. The clown may opt to tell the Spiders about his existence. Surely, the lure of the last surviving Kurutan would be impossible for the group to ignore.

 _Then again, if he does tell them, they'll come after me and then I'll have a reason to kill them off._

That was loophole he intentionally left when he made the promise. He won't hunt down the group out of revenge, but he didn't mention anything about killing them as an act of self-defense. It was a big loophole, his master noticed it as well but self defense was necessary.

 _Of course, now that you've back out of your meeting with Hisoka, how will you know what technique which member of the spider possesses? How will you prepare yourself?_

Kurapika closed his eyes, mentally shaking his head for the mess he's gotten himself into. He hasn't even met a single spider yet and already he feels like he's trapped in a web. His internal conversation was cut-off by a panicked voice.

"Kurapika! Come quick! It's happened!"

His eyes snapped open, he turned to his left to see a panicked looking Squala and a terrified Eliza. He heard Neon screaming, things inside the room were being broken.

 _It's them! How did the Ryodan get in?_

He heard his heart pound heavily, his reflexes took over as he ran into Neon's bedroom with chains ready to strike.

Once he was inside a projectile was thrown at him. He used his chain to block it and tear it apart. As the object tore open, feathers rained down on them.

 _What?_

"No! NO! NOOO! I wanna go! You can't keep me here! I wanna GO!"

Kurapika stared at the scene unfolding before him. Neon was on her bed, throwing around pillows, stuffed toys, bed sheets and anything else within reach. She was crying while her aids try to placate her. There were no thieves, no malevolent nen users, no bloodshed, no violent attacks.

It was an all-out temper tantrum.

"What's... What's happening?" asked Kurapika as he stood there dumbfounded

"She found out she wouldn't be allowed to go the auction" answered Eliza

Kurapika sighed _disciplining her is not a part of my job._

"You can handle this without me. You can ask Melody to calm her down with her music. I'll be patrolling outside"

Squala tried to block his way "What? But-"

"My nen is used to gather intel, maim and kill. While I can tie her down with my chain I doubt her father would appreciate having his daughter treated like a prisoner. I'll be right outside" Kurapika answered with a stern voice.

Once outside, Kurapika took a deep and steadying breath. He will need to keep a cool and clear head for tonight's auction.

As he walked outside by the trees, a gust of cool wind blew his way. Kurapika closed his eyes to prevent the dirt getting into his eyes. As the gust ended, something changed. He came out here to clear his head, but the wind seems to have brought with it more than just twigs and fallen leaves. He surveyed his surroundings and noticed the eerie atmosphere. The quiet, the stillness. As if not a single insect or animal dared to breathe. Even the plants seemed to have stood still despite the wind that just passed. Kurapika felt a sense of dread. It was like the calm before the storm. He knew then that:

 _Something's wrong._


	3. Careful What You Wish For

_This is going to be a long night_ sighed Kurapika.

The auction is set to start in 2 hours and Kurapika has been on high guard since early that evening when he took a stroll outside. He couldn't shake off the feeling of dread he was having.

 _Like having someone walk over your grave_ he thought to himself.

He lifted his left hand to his left ear, firmly grasping the single ruby earring he wore

 _I hope all will go well._

 _ **LATER**_

The auction started peacefully; security was tight and everyone in the staff was on guard. Kurapika had been assigned to patrol the building perimeter along with a team 10 others; they were to rotate and report any abnormal occurrences.

All was quiet as Kurapika roamed the ground near the clump of trees located at the back of the building, a two-way radio on hand for easier communication with his teammates. It was a cool night; if not for the event inside, Kurapika might've enjoyed this walk.

 _All clear_ he thought; he was about to lift the radio to report to his teammates when something made him stop.

 _Someone's here_

Then, without warning, he heard bullets being fired inside the building from what seemed like a machine gun. And just like that, the once cold and still auction building erupted with screams of fear, panic, and agony.

 _Is this a joke?_ It's as if someone siphoned the audio from his nightmares and played them on loudspeaker in real life.

There was fighting going on inside the building. Violent and strong nen users were attacking the auction hall, their power emitting from the tall buildings. It was pulsing, the building almost seemed like it was breathing, like it was alive. Ironic considering he could hear screams of people dying, begging for their lives. His teammates were supposed to be there.

He knew he could help, if only he could. But at the moment, all he could do was stand. He would've moved but he felt a pair of eyes staring at him

He can feel it. Without knowing it, he joined a game of hide and seek with an unknown intruder. Kurapika stood still facing the trees. He could feel a pair of eyes on him, watching him, waiting for him to move

 _You're supposed to be sharper than this. Weren't you on full alert? How can someone sneak up on you like this?_ He argued with himself. _Calm down. Don't show fear or surprise, don't show any emotion. Find out where he is and guard yourself._

"Interesting" a male voice said

"Very interesting." the disembodied voice continued "You're not running blindly to your comrades. Either you're not a very good team player, or perhaps you sensed me and can't move out of fear?"

 _Keep him talking. You need to know where his voice is coming from._

"I like to greet people properly when I first meet them. Would've seemed rude if I just turned my back on you. I was raised to have manners" Kurapika answered, shifting his eyes left to right in an effort to find the owner of the voice.

 _Keep your voice level_

"How wonderful. It's so rare to find a mafia dog with manners. What a nice change from the usual boastful and loud mouthed exclamations I usually encounter when dealing with your kind"

 _I can agree to that_ Kurapica thought; just earlier he met a rude bastard that turned out to be a rival of the Nostrade's.

"You see the power goes to the head very easily. Giving the illusion of invincibility. Unfortunately, this illusion is hard to combat, too often I find that only the release of death can deal with this.. illness"

"I find it ironic how you can complain about the lack of etiquette when here you are, conversing with me and not even bothering to show yourself" replied Kurapika

"Ah! Yes! Of course, how can I be so rude? Let me introduce myself" said the voice.

Kurapika heard soft footsteps on the ground not too far away from him as a silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness

 _The left!_

Kurapika shifted his body to meet the intruder and was dumbfounded at what he saw.

The man was tall, lanky, and bald but what shocked Kurapika the most was that his body was covered in bandages; in his hands, he wore boxing gloves.

"My name is Bonolenov"

"Bonolenov, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you something. You were able to cloak your presence so well, I would assume that you're a nen user - a good one at that. The ones causing a ruckus inside, are they friends of yours?"

"Yes"

 _Who are these people?_

"What are you after?"

"We're here to take everything"

"Surely. With the level of skill you and your friends have, you could've done that without the fuss of killing anyone"

"Our orders were to take everything. It's up to us how we do that"

Kurapika's eyes widened

 _They chose to kill despite not receiving orders for it? Is this just for fun? But... Orders! They answer to someone then_

"You take orders? Are you from the mafia?"

"No. We are not associated with such loud, untalented beasts. Present company excluded, I must say"

"I would like to know which group thinks so low of us"

"Very well. You have been respectful. I will let you know before I finish you and join my comrades. We are..."

The next words that left Bonolenov's mouth ignited a fight that no one witnessed. And in this fight, one was left to die, while the other walked away.


	4. Wavering Promise

_"The underground world is at shock. What was meant to be a night of glitz, glamour, and record breaking bids turned into a night of terror. Reports show that just as the auction was set to start, screams and bullets were heard in the main auction hall. Despite expecting a bloody greeting, security is dumbfounded at finding no one and nothing, not a single drop of blood, not a single bullet shell, nor a single body. The one lingering evidence that suggests that a hostile attack may have happened is the large crater found an the back of the building. However, even there, not a single body was found. In more news -"_

Neon Nostrade's security team was huddled together in front of the television; the mafia report did not even begin to highlight the terror of that evening. Silence reigned as they absorbed what happened the night before. Last night, the Phantom Troupe let loose upon the mafia world and presumably killed all the attendees along with some of their comrades; though evidence have yet to confirm their suspicions.

The bandits left on a hot air ballon and was easily shot down by the mafia body who decided to give chase. However, not a single one of those mafia personalities came back alive. The Nostrade security team were also told to give chase, but the order was later recanted when their leader, Dalzollene, received news that the Shadow Beasts were dispatched to take care of the mess.

Just an hour ago it was confirmed that the Shadow Beasts were killed and one was missing. To make matters worse, Kurapika, who had been assigned to monitor the area where the crater was found, is nowhere to be found.

"You are paid to guard Ms. Nostrade, not to stare into a television" an authoritative voice said

The team turned around to find Dalzollene standing over them

It was Melody who spoke first "We were watching the underground news. Is there still no news of Kurap-"

"The young mistress is disheartened that she was not able to obtain the eyes that she wanted so she will likely want to go out shopping. As for Kurapika, it is safe to assume that he is long gone"

"But there's no evidence. We're not su-" Squala argued

"Our evidence is the fact that there is no body. If indeed it was the Phantom Troupe that attacked the auction, it is more likely that all missing persons are dead. Now prepare for the outing. We will leave as soon as-"

Dalzollene was cut short when the door to the suite opened revealing a disheveled Kurapika. The whole room turned to look at the new arrival.

Kurapika walked into the suite, closed the door and quietly made his way into his room.

His comrades could do or say nothing; they were shocked, not just at the fact he was alive, but the at the state of his appearance. Kurapika's clothes were ripped and torn in places, they were dirty as though he had been dragged at the back of a car, he had a few bruises, some cuts and scrapes but more than anything, they were frozen at how he carried himself. He looked dazed, he kept his eyes downcast as he made his way to his room.

 _Like looking at a wild beast wanting nothing more than to be left alone after he killed off an intruder_ Basho thought

It seems everyone thought the same. As the normally strict Dalzollene thought it wouldn't be bad to give him a day off. He'll question him later.

HxHxHxHxHxHxHxHx

 _"The underground world is at shock. What was meant to be a night of glitz, glamour, and record breaking bids turned into a night of terror. Reports show that just as the auction was set to start, screams and bullets were heard in the main auction hall. Despite expecting a bloody greeting, security is dumbfounded at finding no one and nothing, not a single drop of blood, not a single bullet shell, not a single body. The one lingering evidence that suggests that a hostile attack may have happened is the large crater found an the back of the building. However, even there, not a single body was found. In more news -"_

"OI! It wasn't done yet!"

"Shut up. She didn't say anything we don't already know"

"He's right. I was hoping they'd parade around the guy who killed Bono"

"Surprising isn't it? Since the mafia would love to have a claim on this"

"Maybe the person isn't from the mafia?"

The Phantom Troupe sat around in their base pondering the possibility

Last night was unexpected; after the attendees have been taken care of, Uvo and the others arrived to the hot air balloon without the treasures. Moreover, Bonolenov didn't show up, nor did he answer phone calls. This forced Machi to disembark and search for him in his last known location, that was when she discovered Bonolenov and the destruction that surrounded him.

Bonolenov was lying near a large crater which Machi suspects was from Bono's technique, _Jupiter_. When she approached him, he was still breathing though barely. Machi could tell he was about to expire, she talked to him asking about what had happened. He told her the story of his encounter and how the "Mafia Chain Wielder" was dangerous but was civilized to talk to, how he seemed like an intellect. In the end, Bono died content that he'd fought a great warrior.

Machi made the call to their boss and carried Bono's corpse out to the desert to bury it; the grave was deep, unmarked, and unnoticeable. When Machi returned, Pakunoda was waiting to read her memory and to transfer it to the Boss.

Troupe members don't really get emotional about members who get killed, but there was an air of solemnity in the group. Their leader, for one, hasn't spoken much since.

Ordinarily, the boss would set out to order the group to wreck havoc as a way to pay tribute to their fallen member, but the details that Bono gave about the Chain wielder made it seem that this opponent was not only strong enough to handle his own against the troupe but was clever enough to compensate any weaknesses. In addition, the fact that the mafia isn't parading the troupe's loss on television suggests that this is no ordinary mafia; perhaps it was someone who had a deeper grudge or just someone who had no interest in the troupe whatsoever. Either way, it would pose quite a risk.

HxHxHxHxHxHxHxHx

 _They're here. Just as you thought they would be; just as you wished. You're an idiot. Do you have any idea how close you were to killing yourself last night? Remember the chain on your heart prevents you from killing them unless it was an act of self defense. The man, Bonolenov, he was lying down taking his last breath and you wanted to kill him despite the fact that he could no longer deal you with any more damage. Your goal now is to find the eyes. Remove the chain on your heart and hunt them down after you've found the eyes. Focus! There was a pair of eyes in the auction last night_

At this moment, Kurapika has had to solidify his promise to himself; he will not hunt down the Troupe. He will focus on the eyes.

But this promise was harder to make the second time around. Knowing that the Troupe was nearby, that he had the skill to kill them, made Kurapika play with the thought that he can always entice the group to come after him, so that he would have a reason to defend himself and in the same act, avenge his clan.

 _No. You will control yourself. No matter how hard, you absolutely cannot lose sight of your priorities. Time is running out. Do not waver on your promise._


End file.
